


Second-Hand

by waterbird13



Series: Tumblr Fics [431]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Accidental harm, Care-taking, Health problems, M/M, Realizations, Smoking, lung problems, second hand smoke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-11-07 01:36:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11048571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waterbird13/pseuds/waterbird13
Summary: Bucky's been a smoker since he was a kid, doesn't see much of a reason to switch it up.Until Tony.





	Second-Hand

Tony’s coughing again, and it’s starting to worry Bucky for real now.

He’s noticed it, how often Tony coughs, or gets short of breath. He sounds like Steve, back in the day, before Erskine and the serum. But Tony doesn’t have asthma and anyways, modern medicine exists now. Tony doesn’t take anything or see anyone or go to any treatments. And every time Bucky asks, he brushes it off.

But right now, he can’t hide this, this doubled-over hacking.

Bucky flings his coat aside, not caring where it lands, and rushes over to Tony. “Tony? Doll? You okay?”

The coughing is taking away his breath now, turning to wheezing, and Bucky wishes his cellphone wasn’t in his jacket pocket, because he thinks he might have to call 911. “Breathe with me,” he says softly. “You’re okay, try for me.”

Practice is the only thing that gets him through it, and eventually Tony’s breathing almost normally again. “I’m fine,” he says, voice raw.

“You seen a doctor?”

“Don’t need one,” Tony hurries to say. “I–just need some fresh air. Be right back.”

Tony rushes out like the room’s on fire, leaving Bucky dazed and bewildered.

“It’s the smoking.”

Bucky jumps half a mile. “Jesus christ. When’d you get here?” He demands, turning to look at Rhodey, who’s looking back at him with hard eyes. Bucky didn’t even hear him come in.

“FRIDAY called me when Tony got bad. I’m glad you can help him, but you could help him by not making it fucking worse,” Rhodey says.

“I…don’t know what you’re talking about,” Bucky confesses.

Rhodey studies him. “Anyone bother to give you a lecture on how bad cigarettes are for your health?”

Bucky shrugs. “The packs says. But I’ve been smokin’ ‘em a long time. Relaxes me. And I can’t get sick like that. So.”

“Know what second-hand smoke is?”

“Huh?”

“The chemicals in cigarettes get into the air. Stick to clothes and skin. Every time you smoke near Tony, you’re passing those chemicals onto him. Called second-hand smoke. Causes the same health problems. Most badly hurts children, and the elderly, and those already bodily compromised. And Tony…”

“His lungs,” Bucky finishes.

Rhodey nods. “Yup. Tony’s lungs are shit. Can’t handle the smoke.” He takes a hard look at Bucky and must see how destroyed Bucky is by the news. “It’s not entirely your fault. Tony’s literally missing a chunk of his lungs, breathing’s always gonna be a little harder. And he didn’t exactly treat his body like a temple before…or after…so that isn’t helping either.”

“But I’m making it worse,” Bucky concludes. “I make him choke and hack like that.”

“Yeah,” Rhodey says.

“Why didn’t he say something?” Bucky says, yanking his hand through his hair. “I’ve been living with him for almost two years. Sharing his bed for ten months. Have I been makin’ him sick all this time? Why didn’t he tell me to get lost?”

“It’s Tony,” Rhodey says with a fond eye-roll. “You know him. If he thought it’d work, he’d give you his own left arm if it would make you happy.”

Instead, he just gave his lungs so Bucky could selfishly and unknowingly have his routine. Bucky feels sick, and it’s hard work to get a super soldier to throw up but he thinks he might achieve it.

Well. Nothing else to it, then.

“FRIDAY,” he calls. “I’m gonna take a shower. Send one of those cleaning bots to grab my clothes. All of 'em, not just these. Wash everything. And…could ya look up the best ways to quit smoking?”

“Of course, Sergeant,” FRIDAY says.

Rhodey squeezes his shoulder, looking relieved. “I’m going to check on Tony,” he says. “Come find us as soon as you’re clean. We’ll be having a quiet night. Maybe a movie or something.”

Bucky scrubs his skin and his hair, uses the fragrant shampoos and soaps he normally wouldn’t touch, brushes his teeth for a solid four minutes, and then carefully washes his hands again just to be sure. All his clothes are gone, so he wears his towel downstairs to steal some sweats from Steve–who thankfully never took up smoking, despite the cultural norms of the time, his own lungs not able to handle it when he was young. Then he goes to find Tony and Rhodey so he can–hopefully, if Tony will let him–carefully hold Tony in his arms for the rest of the night, and just feel him breathe.


End file.
